Philosophooing

Roger says:  “Life is what you make of it.  Grab what you can while you can.  Heck, the chickens come around when I’m trying to eat my banana; if I drop a bite, they are there to peck it up quickly.  One must always be vigilent.  Grab it first with no hesitation.”  Life on a Texas Guest Ranch.

Each cabin comes with a fully equipped kitchen. Bring fixings for a great feast and enjoy an evening of cooking, or head to nearby Carol’s Cat Spring Restaurant, where New Year’s Eve Dinner will be served between 5:30 p.m. and midnight (reservations required).

New Year’s Eve Menu

Toast the arrival of 2011 at Carol's Cat Spring Restaurant.

Appetizer Platter:
Seafood-stuffed mushrooms
Stuffed Grilled jalapenos with Cream Cheese
Feta and wrapped with Peppercorn Bacon
Assorted Cheeses

Soup:
Lobster Bisque

Salad:
Spinach and Romaine with feta crumbles, dried berries, mandarin oranges and poppy seed dressing

Entrees:
Tasting Platter consisting of Filet Mignon with Merlot Demi glace, Seared Sea Bass and Chicken Cordon Bleu
or

Steamed Live Maine Lobster with drawn butter (Lobsters must be reserved in advance – see pricing below)

Sides:
Wild Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus

Desserts:
White Chocolate Bread Pudding
or
Chocolate Mousse

Tasting Platter meals are $59 per person and include a glass of champagne.
Lobster meals are $69 per person and must be ordered in advance.

Happy New Year Everyone!

One of those surprise Texas thunderstorms appeared, and a helicopter was heard overhead, very close by. After the whirling sound suddenly stopped, a ranch hand ran to the pasture and found the helicopter on the ground; the two men in the helicopter had to quickly find a place to land, as they were in the skies in the rain, with no doors. They put a tarp over the copter and got a tour of the ranch until the thunderstorm passed. Of course, they were invited to ride some horses, eat at Carol’s Cat Spring Restaurant, and spend the night at BlissWood Texas Vacation Ranch; however, they were on their way to Austin for business and needed to get on their way, promising to return soon!

One rainy day, a helicopter and passengers dropped in to say hello.

Stay at the ranch and enjoy a fall sunrise after the vinter's dinner.

Fall is simply the best time of year to celebrate wine with special events like a Vintner’s Dinner. Grapes are harvested, the smell of the crush fills the air, and wineries open their doors with special wine tasting events. In the spirit of all this fun, we have decided to host a Vintner’s Dinner at our Houston area guest ranch restaurant on November 10, 2009, at 7:00pm.

Truchard Winery is a small, family-owned winery in the the Carneros region of Napa Valley. Proprietors Tony and Jo Ann Truchard have worked hard for the past thirty years to successfully grow grapes, and we are all rewarded with wines of exceptional quality. Indeed, the Truchards helped pioneer grape growing in the Carneros region of California.

In 1989, the Truchards started producing wine made uniquely from grapes grown on their land. Even today, this practice is far too rare. The Truchards know about grapes, and make sure each grape that becomes an ingredient in their wine meets their high-quality standards.

Celebrate Truchard Winery with Tony and Jo Ann at the restaurant adjacent to our Texas guest ranch. Plan to stay the night in one of the many guest houses on the ranch, so you need not limit the amount of wine you taste. We will provide a six-course dinner specifically planned to highlight the Truchard wines we will be celebrating.

Ladies of Texas enjoy Horseback Riding

LOTT: Ladies of Texas Tradition

They call themselves LOTT, Ladies of Texas Tradition. Back in 1993, group of women assembled at LH7Ranch; their goal was to celebrate being independent and free, and to experience the outdoors and all things equine. They have been riding together ever since, throughout Texas.

Here at our Houston area guest ranch, they enjoyed fine weather and good company. After their big day of riding, the ladies enjoyed a wonderful meal at Carol’s at Cat Spring Restaurant.

Why not host your next reunion or function here? With ample private housing, miles of trails for trailriding, hiking or biking, and tasty food in our elegant yet casual fine dining restaurant, you can’t go wrong. Foster lasting friendships or solid working relationships with an hour or two in the saddle. If you are an experienced rider, you know how this is true, and if you are a novice, just think of all the fun and laughs you can share.

There will be a live Broadcast by Ralph & Tamara of Ralph’s Back Porch. The line-up of performers, both poetic and musical, will knock your socks off. So plan to spend the night at one of the comfortable cabins at our Cat Spring TX guest ranch. Allow time for trail rides before the Cowboy Poets Gathering – a little time in the saddle will put you in the right frame of mind for cowboy poetry!

Come listen to Cade Schalla at our Cat Springs guest ranch

Performers:

Scott Bumgardner – Houston native cowboy poet, story teller and Longhorn cattle breeder

Cade Schalla – Local cowboy poet, columnist and former PRCA bull rider

Linda Kirkpatrick – Texas cowboy poet, writer and Texas historian

Joe Wells – Working cowboy and reciter and performer of classic cowboy poetry

Frank Roberts – Cowboy singer and songwriter

Prairie Moon Band – Cowboy band featuring cowboy music and western swing

Founding members of the Roger Roo Fan Club

There is a special resident of our Texas Guest Ranch – Roger Roo the Kangaroo. What follows is one woman’s experience with Roger that bears repeating.

“January 13th, I drove two hours to beautiful Blisswood. Upon arrival one of the first things that caught my eye was a camel. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing here on the Texas plains! Carol took us around to view a few of the cottages and I was very patient but what I really wanted was to meet this kangaroo. So I finally blurted out…where is the kangaroo?” “Oh”, says Carol, “you want to meet Roger.” Roger! It was the first I had heard his name. A few minutes later Carol comes carrying a big pink diaper bag. She handed me the bag and says, “get him up/ he is napping.” I opened the flap and all I could see was ears, legs and tail. Roger was curled up lying on his back sound asleep. Finally he opened his eyes and slowly crawled out still half asleep and up onto my shoulder like a child waking from a nap and still wanting to be held. Well! It was love at first sight! Roger looked right in my eyes while I talked to him and just let me hold him on my lap…a perfect stranger!

After I left Blisswood (video of Roger in hand), I wanted to tell everyone about Roger. We stopped at a restaurant in San Marcos and told the waitress and several patrons about our Roger adventure, sharing the video much to everyone’s delight and amazement. The next morning I sent Carol a note and thanked her for her hospitality and asked if Roger said anything about me or if he missed me. Carol called to say she enjoyed meeting me as well and that, “You and Roger really did have a special connection.”

I had to see this special kangaroo again, so I traveled back to Blisswood with my family in August. It was a glorious morning, all of us enjoying Roger and his antics. He clearly recognized me and I got several kisses.

It was hard to leave but we will be back in the Fall. Everyone should have the Roger Roo experience. One you will never forget and will want all your friends and family to enjoy.

Susan Kaye, Ph.D.                                                                                                        President Roger Roo Fan Club”

We love that guests of our Houston area guest ranch have these kinds of experiences. We think it is what sets Blisswood b&b apart.